About Steve Khan

Guitarist Steve Khan is a gifted jazz-based performer whose adept skills have found him working with his own groups and as an in-demand session artist. Born in Los Angeles in 1947, Khan grew up in a musical family, the son of famed lyricist Sammy Cahn. Initially, he studied drums and piano in his adolescence before settling on the guitar around age 20. He honed his skills while attending U.C.L.A., after which he moved to New York City and quickly found work in variety of jazz, pop, and R&B settings. During this period he shared the stage with such luminaries as Maynard Ferguson, Buddy Rich, the Brecker Brothers, Joe Zawinul's Weather Update, and others.

As a recording artist, Khan made his debut alongside fellow guitarist Larry Coryell on 1976's Two for the Road. He then delivered several well-received albums for Columbia, including 1977's Tightrope, 1978's The Blue Man, and 1979's Arrows. Also during this period, he found session work appearing on albums by Ashford & Simpson, Rupert Holmes, Steely Dan, and Billy Joel. In 1980, he delivered the Thelonious Monk-themed Evidence. A year later, he formed the fusion quartet Eyewitness, which continued to work throughout the 1980s. Several more well-regarded albums followed in the '90s, including 1992's Headline, 1994's Crossings, and 1997's Got My Mental with John Patitucci and Jack DeJohnette.

He then joined the Caribbean Jazz Project for 2000's New Horizons and 2001's Paraiso. Khan returned to his solo work in 2006, reuniting with DeJohnette and Patitucci for The Green Field, followed by 2007's Borrowed Time. He then brought along fellow Eyewitness alums Anthony Jackson, Dennis Chambers, and Manolo Badrena for 2011's Parting Shot, followed in 2014 by the salsa-infused Subtext. In 2016 he released Backlog, which featured guest spots from longtime associates like Randy Brecker, Bob Mintzer, Mike Mainieri, and others. ~ Matt Collar